MSU President Clif Smart talks to the media about a potential addition to IDEA Commons in Springfield.
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Missouri State University, developer Vecino Group and a division of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce are exploring the feasibility of developing property to the south of the Jordan Valley Innovation Center, largely for office use.(Photo: Andrew Jansen/News-Leader)Buy Photo

An area just north of downtown Springfield could get a sizable addition if a proposal made public Friday comes to fruition.

Missouri State University, developer Vecino Group and a division of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce are partnering to assess the feasibility of adding at least one new structure, largely devoted to office space, in the area known as IDEA Commons.

The university already operates several facilities in IDEA Commons, which sits between downtown and Chestnut Expressway.

All the facilities opened in the past decade and were repurposed from past uses. The eFactory, a space for startup companies, was formerly a turkey processing facility. The Jordan Valley Innovation Center — which houses more established, high-tech companies — comprises much of a former feed mill. And Brick City, home to the university's art programs, used to be a refrigerated warehouse.

MSU President Clif Smart said JVIC, the eFactory and Brick City are fully occupied and that MSU views IDEA Commons as a success story for the community that it wants to see "move to the next level."

In an attempt to do so, MSU and its partners are looking at developing an area generally southeast of the corner of Boonville Avenue and Phelps Street. The 2-acre site currently consists of a university-owned parking lot and a nightclub on property recently acquired by Vecino.

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Missouri State University President Clif Smart, right, along with city officials, looks out of the window on the seventh floor of the Jordan Valley Innovation Center on Friday, July 7, 2017 onto the property below and to the south that they are hoping to develop.(Photo: Andrew Jansen/News-Leader)

On Friday, officials with the university, Vecino and the Springfield Business Development Corporation — the chamber's economic development arm — briefed City Council members on their vision.

Smart, Chamber President Matt Morrow and the other officials emphasized that the plan is still is in the early stages. There are no renderings of a proposed building or buildings. Parking is a big question mark. Financing still needs to be worked out.

But the partners are spending $130,000 to try and answer those questions. MSU and the SBDC are each contributing $32,500, with Springfield-based Vecino covering the remainder.

Vecino is the developer responsible for turning several long-vacant properties downtown, including the Woodruff building, into student housing. The company, which an executive said has done work in 10 states, also has divisions devoted to affordable housing and public-private partnerships.

SBDC head Ryan Mooney told council members that companies considering relocating to the Springfield area often want to be in or near downtown, making IDEA Commons ideal for development.

If the plan discussed Friday moves forward, the new addition likely wouldn't be entirely limited to office space for companies, although that would be a key focus.

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Mat Burton, president of public-private partnerships for Vecino, talks about developing the property to the south of the Jordan Valley Innovation Center into office spaces.(Photo: Andrew Jansen/News-Leader)

Mat Burton, president of public-private partnerships for Vecino, said he believes IDEA Commons could benefit from something resembling a welcome center and community space, which would make the separate entities feel more connected.

"It's not something that's well-branded in the community, and I think there's an opportunity for that," Burton said of the IDEA Commons name.

The addition could also potentially feature space for retail and commercial use, Burton said.

Burton said that maintaining enough parking in the area would be a priority, although how the development would do so — particularly given the fact it would replace an existing parking lot — has yet to be determined, he said.

Burton said the partners hope to determine if the project is feasible in three to four months and should likely have renderings of proposed structures at that time, if so.

The area of potential redevelopment also includes one parcel north of Phelps Street, an unoccupied, dilapidated building next to the JVIC facility. The hope is it could be demolished and turned into more office space — but Smart said that, even if the project doesn't move forward, something will likely need to be done to ensure it stays standing.

The project would likely work around city efforts to daylight, or expose, more of Jordan Valley Creek, which runs underneath downtown. Springfield Mayor Ken McClure said the city has set aside $1.5 million for that effort, independent of the possible redevelopment plan.

While the project is still in the early stages, Morrow said it has the potential "to be a game-changer" and spur additional development.

"The most valuable thing about a project like this, if it happens, is what happens next," Morrow said.

Five members of City Council attended the luncheon meeting: McClure, Jan Fisk, Mike Schilling, Dr. Tom Prater and Richard Ollis. All spoke favorably of the proposal.